As dawn broke on the morning of Friday, November 13, 1942, a lone F4F Wildcat climbed out of Henderson Field on the island of Guadalcanal. The Marine pilot, Captain Joe Foss, was to assess damage to U.S. Naval ships following the previous night's bitter naval engagement.
As the morning sun streaked across the sound between Savo and Guadalcanal, Foss viewed the wreckage of one of the most furious close combat naval action of the war. But what caught the young pilot's eye was a badly damaged Japanese battleship. Protected by three destroyers, the HIEI offered the Cactus flyers a prize they would not allow to escape.
The Cactus Air Force quickly scrambled their fighters to join TBF and SBD torpoed and dive bombers.
Their collective mission: sink the enemy battleship. Foss, having refueled, climbed his eight F4F Wildcats to 12,000 feet to make a diversionary attack while the torpedo bombers made their perilous run at the heavily-defended warship. From high above, Foss brought his F4Fs screaming ver in World War II, fell to the small but courageous group of Marine and Navy fliers.
Prints in this important edition, signed by Marine Ace and Medal of Honor recipient Joe Foss and three of his surviving pilots, are restricted to just 550 copies world-wide, virtually guaranteeing their lasting value to collectors.
THIS EDITION IS SOLD OUT. CALL FOR AVAILABILITY